BC Conservative leader Cummins to quit

VANCOUVER — A member of the B.C. Conservative Party’s executive says leader John Cummins will quit this evening after a conference call with the party’s board of directors.

However, the party’s president refused to confirm that and Cummins himself was unavailable for comment.

Dan Brooks, who sits as a party director at large, says Cummins has already indicated he will resign as leader and the party has been hammering out details for a month.

Brooks says Cummins made the decision after the Conservatives’ disastrous showing in the May provincial election.

But when asked if Cummins would resign, party president Dan Denis responded “not necessarily” and noted Cummins has not tendered a resignation “yet.”

The Conservatives, considered a serious threat to the B.C. Liberals during two byelections last year, imploded before the provincial vote amid infighting and demands for Cummins’ resignation, which Cummins successfully deflected in a confidence vote.

Cummins came a distant third in his own riding and the party managed to garner only 4.8 per cent of the popular vote.